With the 2009-2010 school year just around the corner, August is a very busy time in many households. Families are cramming in the rest of summer, teachers are coming back to prepare their class- rooms and lesson plans and athletes are beginning their practices.

This summer, the Minn esota Depar t - ment of Educa- tion rel eased the results from the MCA II tests given during the 2008- 09 school year. Our test scores indicated that most students are performing better than last year. The biggest increase was the eighth grade, with a 24 percent in reading scores and 20 percent increase in math scores, over the 2008 results. We still have a lot of work to do to reach 100 percent, but this shows how our staff has been working towards improving student achievement. Our complete results can be found on the Department of Education's website at www.education. state.mn.us.

Within the last month, we are also fortunate to have Jason Luksik begin his position as the principal for Motley and Staples Elementary Schools. Jason replaced Gwynne Gildow following her retirement at the end of June. Jason started his education career as an elementary teacher for the Mahnomen School district, followed by teaching at Pine Point Public School in Ponsford Minnesota. Since 1997, he served as the superintendent/ principal for Pine Point Public School. We are pleased to welcome Jason to our leadership team.

We are focused on getting ready for September 8. It will be the first day of school for all students as well as the date selected for the Building Maintenance Levy vote. This will be an important vote for our schools and we are working on different projects to provide the public with as much information as possible about the purpose of the funds we are requesting. Please watch your mailbox for a brochure outlining the main topics as well as the specifics about where you can vote.

Our schools are aging. Our students are attending classes in schools that are in need of renovation, maintenance and efficiency updates. The majority of the funds will go directly to key maintenance items for our district's buildings. The largest portion of the funds, approximately 70 percent, will be used to replace building roofs where needed. For many years, our building maintenance team has worked to patch our existing roofs. Unfortunately patching is not a permanent fix and needs to be continually updated. Money spent on short-term repairs takes money away from other maintenance needs and classroom instruction. Any comments or questions concerning the bond referendum can be directed to the District Office at 218-894-2430 or by visiting our Facebook page.

We have quality facilities in the Staples Motley School District. With quality care, we can effectively limit and reduce future maintenance expenses and fully utilize these facilities to our students' advantage. Previous generations built our schools, now it is our turn to protect our investment for future generations of students.

For more information about what is happening in our district, please periodically check our website at www.isd2170.k12.mn.us and our Facebook page to be aware of what's happening in our schools. If you have questions, please contact me at 218-894-2430 or mschmitz@isd2170.k12. mn.us.